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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22611445">When In Rome</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/KatieComma/pseuds/KatieComma'>KatieComma</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Mac + Jack + Nick [6]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, MacGyver (TV 2016)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Established Relationship, Feels, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Love, M/M, Multi, Polyamory, Smut, so much love</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 17:40:58</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,152</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22611445</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/KatieComma/pseuds/KatieComma</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Mac and Jack come back from a mission to Nick, an epic dinner, and a surprise.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Jack Dalton (MacGyver TV 2016)/Angus MacGyver (MacGyver TV 2016)/Nick Stokes</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Mac + Jack + Nick [6]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1393999</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>44</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>When In Rome</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlackVultures/gifts">BlackVultures</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Thank you for the prompt that you sent me a zillion years ago Sammy!!!</p><p>I hope you enjoy it! ;)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Mac sighed as Jack pulled into the driveway. They’d been gone on mission for just over a week. He felt tired and anxious and just wanted to see Nick and curl up on the couch with his guys and then go to sleep in his own bed… also with his guys. There wasn’t much better in the world than falling asleep between Nick and Jack. It was warm and comforting and let Mac sleep long and deep like he hadn’t known in years.</p><p>“You comin’ Mac?” Jack asked as he placed a warm heavy hand on his shoulder.</p><p>Mac had been daydreaming about what lay in front of them, and zoned out.</p><p>“Course,” Mac replied, climbing out of Jack's Corvette.</p><p>Jack unlocked the front door and led the way in.</p><p>The house was lit up warm and welcoming; the soft sounds of the TV rumbled in the background.</p><p>Mac stopped just inside the entryway and dropped his bag. The smell of food overwhelmed him and he suddenly realized just how hungry he was. He took a deep breath in through his nose, sucking in spicy and sweet scents.</p><p>“Is that…”</p><p>Jack finished the sentence for him. “Pizza.”</p><p>Mac shook his head. “It’s not pizza. It’s Thai, for sure.”</p><p>Jack laughed and dropped his bag next to Mac’s. “Naw, it’s pizza <i>for sure</i> hoss,” he said before turning his attention to the kitchen and walking further into the house. “Nicky baby where you at?”</p><p>“I’m telling you Jack, it’s Thai,” Mac replied, rounding the corner into the kitchen.</p><p>“Out on the deck!” Nick’s voice carried into the house.</p><p>Mac and Jack caught each other’s eye and raced for the deck stairs. Mac won and was the first to pull Nick into a tight hug, but Jack quickly wrapped his arms around both of them.</p><p>Mac tucked his face into Nick’s neck and settled into the feeling of being completely surrounded. He breathed deep and didn’t care anymore if it was pizza or Thai (definitely Thai though), all he cared about was the way Nick smelled, and how much Mac had missed that smell. And the feel of Nick’s big arms around him sure didn’t hurt.</p><p>“Missed you,” Mac said softly.</p><p>Nick hummed, and gave Jack a quick kiss over Mac’s shoulder. “Missed you guys too.”</p><p>“It’s Thai, right?” Mac asked, still tucked away into Nick.</p><p>“Naw, it’s pizza,” Jack argued. “I can see the box from here. If you’d pull your head up on outta there, you’d see it for yourself. And then I could get myself some action before we dig in.”</p><p>Mac laughed and felt the way it moved the two men around him like they were one.</p><p>“It’s both,” Nick said. “Thai for Mac, from that place you really like; pizza for Jack, and a bit of both for me.”</p><p>Mac smiled against Nick’s skin and kissed his neck, being sloppy on purpose. “We know how much you like a bit’a both,” Mac laughed before he pulled back.</p><p>“Now that is inappropriate talk for the dinner table,” Jack scolded playfully.</p><p>“Good thing we’re not sittin’ down yet,” Nick replied. He let Mac out of his arms and pulled Jack in closer.</p><p>Mac let them have their moment, wandering over to the table Nick had set on the deck. There were closed up containers from the Thai noodle place nearby that Mac loved, steam still leaking from the boxes. Two large pizza boxes sat at either end of the table.</p><p>He grabbed a takeout box and leaned against the table to wait, watching his two favourite men share soft touches. They were so strong and hard, all tough exteriors hiding soft sappy emotions. Just like every time before it made Mac’s heart beat a little faster, and caused a rush of emotion through him to watch them hold each other and share soft kisses; the way Jack held Nick’s face so lightly in his big hands; Nick nuzzling against Jack’s temple. All of these small moments that seemed like nothing, but were everything.</p><p>Mac smiled and picked up a set of chopsticks, hunger overtaking his nostalgia. He popped the box open and dug into the steaming noodles, shovelling a mouthful into his face. He groaned at how good it tasted, and closed his eyes to savour the sensation. Spicy and sweet as it slid across his tongue.</p><p>When he opened his eyes Jack and Nick were both looking at him with raised eyebrows.</p><p>“What?” Mac asked, mouth still full as he chewed the soft sauce-soaked noodles.</p><p>“Speaking of things that are inappropriate for the dinner table,” Jack said as he wandered over, fingers sliding from Nick’s neck to shoulder to wrist before reluctantly letting go. “That noise is something that should be reserved for the bedroom only.”</p><p>Nick smiled. “Gotta say I agree with him on that one,” he said, sitting down across from Jack. “I’ll never look at Pad Thai the same.”</p><p>Mac took a seat next to Jack. As much as he wanted to sit next to Nick, pressing their thighs together just to be close while they ate, he wanted to hold Nick’s gaze while they talked over dinner without having to crane his neck or turn sideways constantly. Plus, as juvenile as it was, playing footsie was still an option. Almost immediately all of their feet tangled together under the table.</p><p>They traded stories back and forth. Nick talked about the forensic cases he’d been assigned at Phoenix, and about working with Jill, who had quickly become his closest friend in LA. Mac and Jack told a few stories from their mission, leaving out anything classified that could get them, or Nick, in trouble.</p><p>Once Jack had at least 2 slices of pizza in him, and another plate full sitting in front of him, he spoke up bluntly. “Alright cowboy,” he said, “pizza <i>and</i> Thai? Both? Either you’re apologizin’ for something, or I forgot a birthday or an anniversary.” He glanced to Mac, who shook his head and raised his eyebrows. Mac didn’t think it was either, not to his recollection.</p><p>Nick smiled and looked down at his lap, his face flushing red. Mac hated the way Nick was always trying to hide his smile, especially around him and Jack.</p><p>“Well I…” Nick started, but something choked him up. He was still looking down so Mac wasn’t sure what was wrong.</p><p>Jack planted his hands on the table and tensed his arms like he was about to stand up and head over to Nick’s side of the table when Nick looked up again, his face was full of excitement and the widest grin Mac had ever seen on him.</p><p>“What’s up Nick?” Mac asked warily, but the grin was infectious and one creeped across his own face.</p><p>“I did somethin’ a little… impulsive,” Nick said softly. He slipped both hands into his pockets and came back up with two boxes. He slid one toward each of them. “I guess impulsive isn’t exactly the right word. I’ve been thinking about it for a while.”</p><p>Mac looked down at the little box intended for him. It was sitting nonchalantly in the middle of a bunch of half-empty Thai takeout boxes, looking innocent with its soft black velvet exterior.<br/>He was pretty sure his heart stopped beating for a second or two, and his stomach dropped down somewhere beneath the house’s foundation. He just stared at it like an idiot with his mouth hanging open.</p><p>From the corner of his eye, Mac saw Jack finally reach forward and grab his own little black box. The creak of the lid opening sounded like a gunshot. Mac looked over, still slack jawed and unable to talk. He didn’t know what to feel. Was he excited? Happy? Is this what real happiness felt like? He was sure that he’d been feeling happy with Jack and Nick before, but now he was overflowing with emotion and he wasn’t sure if it was good or bad.</p><p>Jack beamed and a tear fell down his cheek. He didn’t reach up to wipe it away, Jack never wiped away the tears that were well earned, instead he wore them like badges for everyone to see.</p><p>“Nicky…” Jack trailed off as he pulled a ring from the box. It was a wide band, the centre was black with an intriguing interlocking pattern. On either side of the black there were small strips, one brown, and one gold. Jack held it like it was precious and he might break it.</p><p>“We’ve been together almost two years now, the three of us. And I know…” Nick trailed off and looked down again. “I know we can’t really ever get married. The law doesn’t work that way unfortunately.” He looked up again, and his face was earnest and open and sad and happy all at once. When he spoke again it almost sounded desperate. “But I would. You gotta know that I would. And I thought: fuck the law. We don’t need any paper saying we love each other.” He huffed a little laugh, his eyes misting up to match Jack’s. “But a ring might be nice.”</p><p>“Damn right,” Jack said as he slipped the ring onto his left hand. “It’s perfect Nicky.” He looked over at Mac who was still frozen. “What you got hoss? Do we match?”</p><p>Nick seemed to realize suddenly that Mac hadn’t touched the box in front of him, and Nick’s face fell a little. He reached toward the box. “Mac, I understand. It’s a lot. It’s ok if-”</p><p>Mac snatched the box out of Nick’s reach, and closed his mouth into a shy smile finally. “I’m pretty sure this is mine,” he said, “you can’t take it back now. Too late for that.”</p><p>Nick smiled in response, and didn’t try to hide it this time.</p><p>Jack leaned closer as Mac opened the box and pulled out a ring that was different from Jack’s. The centre of Mac’s was a grainy deep brown wood, flanked by smaller black and gold bands.</p><p>“They do kinda match,” Nick said, pulling one out of his pocket and holding it out for them to see. Gold in the middle, black and wood on either side. Nick slipped it onto his finger.</p><p>Each ring had a little piece of each of them in it. The black bits for Jack, the wooden strips for Mac and the gold for Nick.</p><p>“It’s perfect,” Mac said as he slipped the ring onto his finger. It fit perfectly. It was cold against his skin, and felt strange; he didn’t wear rings. It would definitely take some getting used to.</p><p>“Now, I have a very important question,” Jack said, narrowing his eyes at Nick. “How in the hell did you get our ring sizes without us knowin’ about it?”</p><p>Nick laughed. “That’s what you care about right now?”</p><p>Jack just glared.</p><p>“Well, yours was easy Jacky boy. I just stole one of your rings and had it sized.”</p><p>“What about me?” Mac asked with a grin, as he twirled the ring on his finger, the metal already adjusted to his body temperature and feeling warm and comfortable against his skin; like it was part of him.</p><p>“I asked Matty,” Nick answered with a shrug. “Your ring size was on file for that newlyweds mission you did a few years ago.”</p><p>Jack rolled his eyes. “Damnit, I hated that one,” he groused.</p><p>“You know it wasn’t a real marriage, right Jack?” Mac teased.</p><p>Jack mumbled something under his breath before he stood up from the table and crossed to Nick’s side, pulling him up from his chair and into a hug.</p><p>Mac got up and joined them, squishing Nick between them.</p><p>“I love you guys,” Jack gushed out. Mac felt a sob escape Jack from where his hands had wrapped all the way around Nick to rest on Jack's shoulders.</p><p>“This is the happiest day of my life,” Mac said, and it came out sounding surprised and not at all emotional; as though it were a sudden realization, which it was since his brain hadn’t even processed it before it had come out of his mouth.</p><p>Nick and Jack both turned toward him in the hug, their eyes wide, wearing matching smiles.</p><p>“God, it really is,” Mac said happily as he turned the words over in his brain. “That’s what this feeling is. I’m really, really happy.”</p><p>Nick leaned close and kissed Mac lightly on the lips. They opened their mouths briefly to make it something just a little more than chaste and soft.</p><p>“Alright boys, alright,” Jack said, “break it up. Let’s save the sexy times for a bit later once I’ve had some dessert.”</p><p>They broke apart laughing. “Dessert?” Nick asked. “What makes you think there’s dessert?”</p><p>Jack toyed with the ring on his finger as he reasoned: “big night like this. Thai, and pizza? And you’re not gonna get something mighty fine for dessert? I don’t think so.”</p><p>“What if I’m the dessert?” Nick asked as he went for the stairs.</p><p>“I’m a growin’ boy,” Jack yelled, so his comments would follow Nick to the kitchen, “a growin’ boy can always eat two desserts.”</p><p>Mac pulled Jack into a quick hug, his body thrumming with excitement. He felt like he could run to Canada and back, or jump over the house.</p><p>“You good?” Jack asked, feeling the energy bubbling under Mac’s skin.</p><p>“I have never been better in my life,” Mac said as he dropped a quick kiss on Jack’s lips and went back to the table, suddenly more hungry again; ravenous even.</p><p>Nick came back with dessert; Jack’s favourite kind of pie.</p><p>As they lingered over dessert, they talked about honeymooning.</p><p>“I mean, I know it ain’t a real marriage,” Jack said, “but I still think we deserve a good honeymoon somewhere nice. Tijuana’s a good place-”</p><p>“If you’re single,” Mac raised his eyebrow in Jack’s direction.</p><p>“Jamaica?” Nick suggested, munching on a piece of flaky crust.</p><p>Mac shook his head. “What about Europe somewhere?”</p><p>“Europe could work,” Jack said.</p><p>“Europe’s a big place,” Nick said, “where are you thinking?”</p><p>“Italy?” Mac said.</p><p>Jack shook his head. “Greece,” he said through a huge mouthful of his second piece of pie. “Greek islands. You can rent a big place. Got the ocean right there. Private.”</p><p>Nick raised both eyebrows. “Private, huh?”</p><p>Mac leaned forward conspiratorially. “Well, we don’t really need anyone else, do we?”</p><p>“We really don’t,” Jack said.</p><p> </p><p>Later when he was overwhelmed with arousal and had lost his words, trapped perfectly between his two boyfriends... fiancés? That’s when it hit Mac full force; what the rings really meant, what these two men surrounding him really meant to him.</p><p>Jack’s body was pliant underneath him, loose after orgasm. Mac was thrusting against his hip, the sweat and come between them providing perfect friction while Nick pressed inside of Mac from behind, looming over both of them.</p><p>Mac was surrounded and drowning in feeling, his body frantic and full of love. The gentle but firm push of Nick’s hips urging him forward were slowly sliding him up Jack’s body, he needed to brace himself. Mac reached out his right hand and took Jack’s left, lacing their fingers together and pressing Jack’s hand into the bed just above his shoulder.</p><p>With his other hand, Mac reached back to his hip where Nick was gripping him tightly and took hold of Nick’s hand. Their rings found each other, the hollow sound of the wooden centre of Mac’s ring tapping against Nick’s metal. He gripped Jack’s hand tighter, and felt Jack’s ring spin against his fingers. They were all connected, with Mac as the circuit. </p><p>It felt so right Mac wanted to scream, but he couldn’t. He never could during sex, like his brain just couldn’t connect brain to mouth. Instead he used his body to show them how he felt. He met Jack’s eye and let his lips fall open, his eyes going wide as he squeezed Jack’s hand tight and pressed back into Nick’s thrusts.</p><p>“Come on Mac,” Jack encouraged softly, “Come on baby. I got you.” He lifted a hand to Mac’s sweaty skin, running his rough fingers from stomach to chest. The touch tingled, and Mac’s body seized as he came, rubbing against Jack’s stomach.</p><p>The tightening of his body brought Nick along with him. They both thrust shakily a few more times, riding out their orgasms in each other.</p><p>“Jack! Mac!” Nick groaned out on his final thrust before his body stilled and became a heavy weight on Mac’s back. “I love you so much.”</p><p>Mac let Nick’s weight push him down onto Jack and they lay panting against each other.</p><p>“Hey now,” Jack wheezed, “you guys ain’t exactly ballerinas here. A man’s gotta breathe.”</p><p>Nick shook with laughter against Mac before he rolled them to the right side. Nick curled up behind Mac, wrapping an arm around him, and started to drift almost immediately, the way he always did after sex, completely spent.</p><p>Jack’s left hand rested on his own chest, which rose and fell quickly as he took in fresh air after being squished by his lovers… fiances?</p><p>Mac took Nick’s left hand in his own and rested them on top of Jack’s; three hands laying in a little pile, the rings all gleaming in the light from the bedside lamp.</p><p>Yes, this was right; this was home; this was forever so why not mark it that way? Why not wear it proudly?</p><p>Mac watched the rings rise and fall on Jack’s chest as his breathing slowed.</p><p>As Mac’s orgasm faded, his voice returned. “What do we call each other then?” He said, his voice rough. “If we’re not married, what do we say? Boyfriends? Fiances?” He added the last quietly: “Husbands?”</p><p>Nick made a questioning noise that indicated he’d woken up enough to understand, his fingers twitching against Mac’s hand.</p><p>Jack flopped his head over to look at them; his big brown eyes, clouded with post-orgasm bliss, cleared suddenly, filling with emotion. “What do you want us to be hoss?”</p><p>Nick snuggled somehow closer, his chest sticking pleasantly to Mac’s back. He started talking softly with the the rhythm of something memorized and repeated while half asleep. “In ancient Rome it was common for men to marry each other, and even though it wasn’t recognized legally, they still had ceremonies and referred to each other as husbands. Even Nero had a public marriage to a man.” He kissed softly at the back of Mac’s neck, and then his voice changed, more aware and awake. “I could stand to be your husband. Both of you.”</p><p>“I think I’d like that,” Jack said. “How about you Mac?”</p><p>“Husbands,” Mac said softly, his eyes starting to shutter, his body exhausted and longing for sleep. “I think I could get used to that.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I asked for prompts with a ship name and a word and I would write a drabble. This one was: MacDaltonStokes + Proposal</p><p>George Eads Thirst Club: shout out and thanks for the wedding ring conversation!!!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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